


Four Seasons

by squirrellysemantics



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-10
Updated: 2010-10-10
Packaged: 2017-10-12 13:50:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/125541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squirrellysemantics/pseuds/squirrellysemantics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two couples.  Two nations.  They are different yet very much the same.  Their lives, loves and loss have the power to change the world. A set of snapshots in time.  Written for the Avatar Big Bang 2010</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Seasons

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Avocado Love for big bang beta
> 
> There is fantastic artwork that goes with this piece but I don't think I can insert it here. The credit is below.
> 
> (Art: "Spring" and "Summer")  
> LJ Name: Engelen  
> Rating: G  
> Warnings and pairings: Ozai and Ursa  
> Notes: Credit for the textures: http://resurgere.deviantart.com

Spring

 

There were few times in his life that Ozai was glad to be second born. His fingers brushed against the firm, full breast of the girl underneath him, delighting in the contrast of dusky areola against porcelain skin.

"My...my prince!" Her pale legs locked around his waist like a vice as he deepened his thrusts.

Oh, yes. On occasion it was quite pleasant being second born.

She was so petite his broad hands guided her pelvis easily as he tried to find an angle more to his liking. Ah. Right there. Her little shiver was delicious as she arched up to meet him. The heat, the glide, the grip of velvet glove that clung to his cock, her sweet moan as he bit just beneath her ear. Heavens, she was lovely, this Akako. Or Akane? Her name began with an 'a' - he was sure of it.

Well. Mostly sure.

It didn't matter. Who knew if he would ever be permitted the like again? His future held much uncertainty and all he knew for sure was that he needed this -right here, right now. With a snap of his hips, he increased the pace to the girl's obvious delight. So close. So close. He could feel the tug, coiling like a spring. He loved it, this place just on the edge of ecstasy. If he could only live here- between the willing thighs of any number of beautiful young things. Was that too much to ask?

Not like anything more was expected of him.

Heavy footsteps approached his bedroom but he was far too occupied to notice the light knock on the door. Understandable under the circumstances but it wasn't until afterwards that he berated himself as a fool for letting his guard down.

Just a little more. Ozai drove into her, pulling her to him. So tight. She spasmed around him, her wail of delight turning to one of terror as sudden light blinded them both.

No! Not now! Who would dare?

A snarl escaped his lips as the girl struggled to escape from under him. Now, now. None of that. Not when he was almost there. His hands wrapped around her waist and he drilled into her once and again and.... Yes. He twitched as he came, pulse after pulse. Mmm, yes.

There was a rustle of silk as the girl fought to cover her nudity. Ozai settled back on his elbows in a naked sprawl, feeling no such urgency. He didn't bother shielding his eyes against the painful light, not particularly wanting to fight through his sudden lassitude enough to make out more than the silhouette of this bold intruder.

"Are you quite finished, Prince Ozai?"

The prince shot a broad smile in the direction of the familiar voice, knowing full well how this would be received. "Yes, Uncle."

The man's stony features became clear as eyes acclimated to the light. "I have been asked to collect you. Your betrothal ceremony is due to start shortly." Uncle offered a hand to the flustered, half-dressed girl to help her rise on to shaky legs. With a small formal bow, he stepped aside to allow her to leave with whatever dignity she had left. "Lady Akahana."

Ah! He knew it started with an 'a'.

Ozai began gathering his garments that had been strewn haphazardly about the floor. "Father thinks I need a minder, does he?"

"Which proved correct by the look of things," his uncle said archly. "I'm sure your life's mission to plow every fertile field in the Fire Nation seems worthwhile to you, but your father would find it scandalous that your obscene behavior continued so close to your betrothal. At least show a modicum of discretion if you wish to risk Azulon's wrath by making a cuckold of your future wife." The old man flicked dismissively at an invisible loose thread on his robes. "The last thing we need is you populating the capitol with a crop of your bastards."

Ozai brought his flash of anger to a simmer as he forced himself to chuckle. You should be used to this, he reminded himself. The old fuck resented your existence since you were born. No one had expected Ilah to carry a child to term after the string of miscarriages after Iroh, least of all Azulon's brother. But survive Ozai did and that was a problem- another brat jumping ahead in the line of succession. "You're simply no fun, Jirou."

"This is not about fun! You are a prince of the Fire Nation!" the man thundered. "You have a duty to your-"

"Yes, yes. My duty." With a grandiose flick, Ozai unfurled his wrinkled trousers and stepped in to them one leg at a time without bothering with undergarments. "An arranged marriage to some girl from the outer colonies for the sake of court politics." He retrieved his sash from under the bed. "Utter nonsense."

"The new Empire class warship your father commissioned requires that we secure as much ore as possible." Jirou spoke slowly and carefully, as if to a child. "The Capitol needs stronger ties to the colonies to make sure negotiations go smoothly."

"Negotiations! For what?" Ozai growled as he pulled his shirt over his head, no longer in the mood to shield his irritation. "The colonies would never survive so close to the Earth Kingdom without military protection. Withdraw naval support and they'll do anything my father wishes in an instant. This political infighting only detracts from the purpose that should be our common goal!" He smoothed his hands over his heavily brocaded robes. His tailor would be having a fit if he knew of the punishment his wares suffered at Ozai's hand. "Ore for security. Security for ore. For the good of the Fire Nation." He preened in the mirror, more to annoy the other man than any actual concern for how he looked. "Seems equitable enough without resorting to this sham of a marriage."

A burst of impatience slipped past Jirou's steely veneer. "Why am I not surprised that your comprehension of the problem is so absurdly… superficial? Since you can't seem to comprehend the subtleties, you would do well to remember that Lord Azulon orders it!" The old man drew a long, slow breath as he battled for composure. "You should be pleased. From her portrait, the girl appears quite lovely."

That prompted a snort of derision from Ozai. "Court artists are not known for their depiction of the truth. They would prefer to live a long and healthy life." Truth be told, he simply didn't like the idea of being wed off as a bargaining ploy. He was enjoying himself far too much to be saddled with a wife from some family with political aspirations but he would never tell Jirou that. Pulling himself up to his full height, he stood a little straighter to emphasize how much he towered over the stout man. "Shall we go?"

The banquet hall was filled with bodies, the flood of eager stewards making Ozai even less pleased to be present. He rarely spent any time at court anymore. Its twisted dance of machinations held no interest. Sniveling courtiers all dueling for his father's favor. It disgusted him. He plastered on his most neutral expression and forded the stream of cooing sycophants, Jirou trailing behind him as if to make sure there was no escape.

A frail hand fell across his arm, preventing Ozai from pressing ahead. He looked up to see a small, insubstantial woman regarding him with adoration.

"My dear," she said tenderly.

His hand looked massive in comparison as he covered hers easily with no small amount of affection. "Mother."

Those at court still marveled at Fire Lady Ilah's beauty and grace. She had always been a favorite of the people. The nation adored her and mourned alongside her with each child she lost. What she lacked in stamina, she made up for in strength of will. Where her body had failed her time and again, it took twenty years of perseverance for the fates to deliver the second child she so desperately wished to have. With Iroh fully entrenched as demanded by his birthright, once Ozai came of age she had pressed Azulon to shield this fought-for child from war. Through no desire of his own, Ozai was shuttered into a sheltered life that became the source of many a rumor. The indolent son. The coddled son. No doubt embellished by Jirou and those like him.

Ozai hated the rumors with a passion, but he would do nothing to distress his delicate mother. So he spent his days training- hour upon hour filled with practice, sweat and drills until at age twenty one the sages said they was no more they would teach him. He had begged- begged for the first and last time in his life-to be taught to manipulate lightning but 'too young' they said. Too emotional.

So he worked on that too.

And if behind closed doors the whispers said that he filled his days with the pleasure of wine and warm young bodies, then he could make things no worse if he did indeed partake from time to time.

So he did.

"Thank you for bringing him to me, Jirou." Ilah brushed worriedly at Ozai's cheek. "You look harried, my son. Something the matter?"

"No, no." He shot a casual glance back at Jirou who stepped up to join them. "I lost track of time working on a particularly pleasant gardening project when Uncle came to fetch me."

The old bastard turned a spectacular shade of purple.

"Ah! Gardening. I found the hobby quite relaxing in my younger days." Veins stood out starkly on Ilah's thin skin.

Ozai flashed a brilliant smile at his uncle, right over the old woman's head. "I find it quite stimulating myself."

Jirou blustered, his words of anger drowned out as the call of a tsungi horn interrupted him.

A nervous little messenger tried to not dance from foot to foot as the eyes of every noble in the Fire Nation turned on him. "Lord Azulon sends his apologies but he has been unforeseeably delayed."

"That man!" Ilah chuckled. "Your father would be late to his own funeral." She prodded Ozai forward. "Go. You might as well spend time with your new bride while we're waiting. Your uncle can keep me company."

That was the last thing in the world Ozai had any intention of doing but if it got him away from Jirou he would take the opportunity as a gift. He drifted amongst a sea of cousins that he barely knew before he saw her.

She looked familiar enough, though he couldn't quite place where. Long aquiline nose. Full mouth that would flash an occasional smile that made her even more entrancingly beautiful. But it wasn't that that most drew his eye. He'd had more than his share of gorgeous women. It was something else. She was putting on a good front but every once in a while the mask would slip. For the briefest of seconds, every once in a great while, he could tell she would rather be anywhere but in this very place at this very moment.

This intrigued him.

He watched her with a fair bit of stealth out of the corner of his eye, not even paying attention to the words of congratulations from some general. Some dreadfully boring minister chatted her up. That was how he saw her slip away.

Fascinating.

With an apology, Ozai slipped away from the general and followed.

She was surprisingly nimble on foot. He lost her but pure luck had him stumbling across her in the gardens. There! Already seated at the base of a cherry tree, she had a small sketch pad peeking from the folds of her robes. Even at this distance he could see her recreating the scene before her of a mother turtleduck coaxing her hatchlings to swim. His approach was as silent as he could make it but she heard him anyway, looking up curiously as he drew near. There was a spark of recognition before her face fell.

This was going to be a challenge.

Good. He hadn't had one of those in a while.

"Expecting someone else?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"No." Sadness made her brow heavy. "No, I wasn't expecting anyone. I merely hoped to escape the party while I could."

He made a gallant flourish, as if perhaps this might sweep away her distress. "May I join you?"

"Of course." Her drawing was set aside with a forlorn sigh. "It would be derelict of me to deny Prince Ozai anything."

There was a tinge of bitterness there that only made him more interested. "I have no desire to force my presence on you. Truly, just say the word and I will leave you be."

Clouds passed across her face. There was a soft murmur from her that he knew was not for his ears but he strained to catch it anyway. "If only things were that simple." With a shake, she came out of her reverie. "Where are my manners? Please -sit." She offered him her first true smile and he couldn't help but smile in return.

Fallen blossoms were under his feet as sat, forcing himself to look casual with difficulty. What? What was this ridiculous nervousness? He was not some schoolboy. What was this woman's allure that captivated him so? So familiar, yet not. One question was on the tip of his tongue. "It is my own manners that are remiss since I must ask for your name. I feel like I know you, but if we had met before I would surely have remembered it."

She searched his face for… something. "You don't know me." She relaxed after she saw no trace of malice. "Not yet."

"Fine. " He chuckled at her delightfully infuriating response. "Keep your name for now. Would you at least tell me what brings you here?"

"Obligation," she said, suddenly serious. "To my family. No matter what my true desires may be."

"That is something to which I have some passing familiarity," he murmured. "This whole business is dreadful, is it not?"

She regarded him with faint amusement. "The betrothal? I would have thought that it was of little consequence to you."

Sudden weariness made Ozai drop his façade. "The entire nobility of the Fire Nation is in that room, celebrating their own mediocrity." The words spilled out of him before he could stop himself but once it began he couldn't stop. "It has been over eighty years since Sozin started us on our path and we are no closer to achieving his goal now than we were then. I fear our country is being bogged down by these trivial internal machinations. My only wish is that I could somehow convince my father he needs a firmer hand to guide us but so far I have been unsuccessful."

Her eyes bored into his. "And what of your wife-to-be?"

He let out a slow puff. "I know nothing of this girl yet I am to be her husband. I promise I will do what I can to make her happy but this whole thing is unfair to both of us. I only do this because they tell me I must because it is-" he paused to take a dramatic breath and was taken aback as she began with him, his words echoing from her lips as they spoke together.

"My duty."

Laughter burst from them both, honest, true laughter the like he hadn't felt since he was a child. His heart tripped over a beat at the mischievous twinkle in her eye.

An elegant eyebrow appraised him thoughtfully. "You are not at all what I was expecting."

He leaned in close enough to take in her scent over sweet cherry blossoms, drawn in by her mirth. "And what were you expecting?"

His breath caught in his throat as she inclined towards him, her golden eyes filling his field of vision as she spoke. "A man-child with no interest in his nation other than what pleasures of the flesh it could provide."

Her boldness sent a burst of heat right through him. "You are not afraid of me."

She moved in close enough that he could feel her answer on his lips. "No."

The desire to kiss her right that very instant was maddening.

A shrill note from a tsungi horn deflated the moment. Both their eyes flicked back to the banquet hall at the cheers of welcome.

"Sounds like your father has arrived." She was already on her feet. "We should return" It took him a moment to gather his wits, breath still caught in his throat. Gods. What was wrong with him? He scrambled to join her and they walked together in silence.

"Oh, there you are!" Ilah clapped her hands as she caught sight of them. "Come! It's time!"

Ozai followed in complete befuddlement as his mother took hold of the girl's arm and escorted them both to Azulon and a very irritated Great Sage.

"About time you showed up, boy," his father growled soft enough for his son's ears only as the younger man bowed deeply in greeting. Ozai ignored his father's hypocrisy at his own tardiness, head whirling as he tried to work out why his mother was clamped on to the raven haired girl's arm like a pentapus.

The Great Sage was oblivious to all of this. "Looks like you two have met," he said gruffly. "Good. We can skip all of the formalities." The crowd fell into silence as the Great Sage raised a hand. "I think we all know why we are here. To celebrate the coming together of two great houses of our Nation. Two young people that in their union can only make our people stronger. I give you Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa!"

The pounding of his heart drowned out all sound. Ozai looked to the girl that had so completely enthralled him in minutes- this Ursa.

Soon to be his wife.

She stared back at him, full of fierce determination as if daring him to speak. "You promised."

"So I did." In single step, he had her lips against his and suddenly they were the only two people in the world.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Fall

 

The sun made the unseasonably cool fall more bearable. Ursa tucked a loose hair behind her ear before using a finger to smudge at the shading from her drawing spread out on the ground before her. She studied the bright green leaves of the sandalwood plant once more before taking up her pencil and matching its long branching veins with lines of graphite on vellum. Finally satisfied, she scribbled a small note to herself underneath. Sandalwood – aromatic oil –antiseptic for wounds.

The complexities of life had always called to her. So it had started when she was very young, this cataloging of plants. As she grew older, understanding their medicinal properties added a layer of fascination. The call to heal had been strong but any dreams of being a healer were forced aside by her family's plans to see her wed to the royal family. It would be improper for a princess to be caring for the common man.

She took consolation in her sketchbook, finding it soothing to this day to spend the afternoon in the tall grass drawing each leaf, each new berry she could find. It came to her easily, where firebending did not. Embarrassing, really. To be a grandchild of the Avatar and a dreadful firebender. Her mother used to say it was because she had always been more nurturing than her siblings, never quite able to tap into any real anger to spark her fire. Whatever the cause, it was this blend of art and science that gave her purpose as well as peace even after she had wed.

The sound of slow, careful footsteps on loamy soil made her smile. Six years, she thought. It had been six years since their wedding and her husband to this day would do his best to catch her unawares and every time she would catch him at his game. "Good afternoon, Ozai," she said with a smile on her face, not even bothering to look.

The black curtain of her hair was swept aside by his huge hands. A delightful shiver went up her spine at the tickle of his lips on the nape of her neck. "Good afternoon, my dear."

That scent-his scent- the usual sweat and smoke always resonated deep within her but today it was tainted with the faint hint of ozone that always set her on edge. She shivered again but there was no pleasure in it.

He must have been practicing in secret again.

Don't. Don't think about it.

His mad quest for lightning.

She didn't realize she had tensed until she felt his hum of disapproval on her skin. He placed a possessive hand over her belly. "Is something wrong, love?"

"No." Ursa covered his hand with her own. "No, the baby is well."

This was new for both of them, the idea of pregnancy. The pressure on the royal couple to conceive as soon as they were wed had been terrible but they had resisted, instead spending the time learning to enjoy one another. With an arranged marriage, they both thought it only fair. It had brought them closer, much closer than she had ever dared dream when the betrothal had been thrust upon her.

With her knowledge of herbs, she had curtailed her natural cycle tacitly with outsiders none the wiser. Ozai had been more than diligent with his affections, making sure that the spying ears and eyes that watched their every move knew that if the marriage had failed to produce children so far that it was not from lack of trying.

After some years had passed, they decided together that they were ready. So the herbs vanished. It shouldn't have surprised her that she conceived so quickly with the intensity of their lovemaking. It was as if they were still new to each other- which in a way, they were. The pregnancy was quite early yet. Ursa was growing a little softer in the middle but otherwise not yet beginning to show. They had decided to wait to share their news with the world, neither of them wishing to deal with the flood of courtiers who would fuss over her ceaselessly in preparation of welcoming another member of the royal family.

The feel of Ozai reaching across her lap to gently close her book broke her free from her thoughts. "Something troubles you," he whispered against her ear. "What can I do to ease your mind?"

She set the book aside and let him wrap his arms around her. "I want you to be safe."

It had all started with Iroh's return from his quest, needing some time home to rest with his wife and son. The stories had already begun to spread even before he had returned, growing more and more elaborate with each telling. They said he had killed the last of the dragons, taking their power. That the sages had never seen anything like it before. That they were falling over themselves to be the one to teach Iroh the most dangerous of skills. The Dragon of the West should master lightning as well.

Ozai had seethed at being deemed to cloudy of mind to do the same no matter how many times he asked. He had worked long and hard to be best of the best and he was powerful even with no dragon to slay. Rejection was not something that was acceptable so he planned around it. It made it easier that there was no possible way to work on mastering that much power indoors. So he watched from afar, practicing all alone so that none would know.

But she knew. And it frightened her.

He threaded his fingers through hers as his body warmed her back. "I am safe with you to keep me grounded."

She couldn't hide the skepticism in her smile.

"You worry still?" A pulse of heat went through her as he mouthed the join of jaw and neck. "Let me ease your mind," he murmured.

"My mind may need a fair bit of easing- hah!" She hummed as he cupped her breast, slightly tender from the storm of hormones flooding her body.

"Then I will strive to do my best." His warmth left her as he shifted, guiding her to recline more comfortably in the tall grass.

Ozai began at her mouth with a long, languorous kiss. His hands were impossibly hot even through her simple shift, roaming to knead any tension from her. The length of him was already hard and heavy against her thigh. She couldn't resist sneaking a hand down between them to try and feel it properly but he caught her wrist easily.

"Ah, ah, ah!" he scolded, as he placed her errant hand above her head. "This is for you." Her back arched up to meet him as he bit down on the stiffening peak of her nipple.

With his hands free to roam once more, he brazenly sought her out, clothes proving to be little barrier as he touched her most intimate of places. He started slowly, thumb teasing her through thin cotton as his kisses dipped to her belly button. Hot spike flashed through her as her shift was pushed up past her hips with little fanfare. A hook of his finger and a tug with some frantic shimmying from herself and her underwear was gone. Nothing now between her and the cool fall breeze.

He parted her thighs and she squirmed under his scrutiny. His face –oh, his face as he studied her. Like a sculptor planning how to best mold the material before him. "Ozai!" she panted. "Please!"

That broke him from his immobility. With one finger he traced the wetness already gathering along her outer lips for a brief moment before plunging deeper. A few probing twists and he added another, scissoring inside her as he thumbed her just the right amount to have her in a frenzy. Still she watched him watching her studiously, adjusting here, stroking there again and again to get her tearing at the ground, pulling up fistfuls of dirt around her.

Then suddenly he was gone. She almost howled, unsure of anything besides being desperate for him to return. And he was there again, settling her legs over his shoulders as he dove in with that tongue, that magnificent devilish tongue. Her cries of appreciation rang out through the forest at the long swipes, delicate little cat licks and –ah, y- yes!- the probing to search out the flavor of her deepest part. When his fingers returned to act in concert it was too much. A white hot wave ripped through her, taking whatever sense she had left. All his forcefulness turned gentle as he held her hips and continued his ministrations to guide her through the aftershocks.

When her thighs ceased trembling and she was finally wrung dry, he shifted to face her. She carded her fingers through his hair and dragged him into a bruising kiss, enjoying her taste on his lips. "You are wonderful," she laughed as they broke apart.

She buried her face against his chest as she battled against the exhaustion of fulfillment to feel the rumble of his words. "And you are perfection."

Time slipped away until she came back to awareness with Ozai still cradling her to him. He seemed to be waiting for her to awaken, brow furrowed in contemplation.

"I want to show you what I've taught myself," he said. "So you do not fear it."

Her heart beat madly but she could not say no.

Once they were both slightly more presentable, he guided her to his secret spot. A well hidden clearing, ringed with trees and little else. Scorch marks and trunks split in two were the only evidence of unusual activity. He sat her on a flat boulder and migrated to the area furthest from her.

He began, looking quite serene. Gathering, gathering. It was like he was calling to the energy within him though she knew it was more complex than that.

And then- the lightning came.

It was beautiful and horrific at the same time. Arcs of pure energy twisted around him like snakes. She could feel her hair begin to stand on end as static filled the air around her. Some primitive part of her brain began to panic as electricity grew in intensity. Her hands flew up to her mouth in terror as the energy built and built and built.

What felt like a giant fist clenched around her abdomen, pain shooting through her. She doubled over even though her rational mind knew this would do nothing.

It was just then that he looked for her, face full of triumph that swiftly warped to something she had never seen in him before.

Doubt.

Fear.

And in an instant everything came undone.

Through her agony, she saw Ozai fall. First to his knees, looking paler than she had ever seen him then to all fours as he seized the ground in both hands, directing the wild lightning into the earth at his feet.

The explosion blanked out any memory of what happened next.

Ursa was fairly sure she had not lost consciousness but her brain still felt addled, ears ringing. The clearing was now nothing but charred earth and a crater and…

Her feet were tingling as she stumbled to the prone body. No! She felt desperately for a pulse. Nothing. No, no, no! A few seconds and thankfully it was back. Weak but getting stronger. There were no signs of motion in his chest. It was a struggle to flip his bulk onto his back but as soon as she managed it she tilted his head and covered his mouth with hers to give him her breath. It was only a minute, though it seemed like an eternity before he finally inhaled on his own.

A hand on her shoulder made her nearly leap from her own skin. She looked up to see Iroh's troubled face. "You must help him!" she wailed, even though she could hear none of it. The stout man pulled her to him as she struggled in his grip. She floundered against the older man, tears streaming down her face as she watched the healers take Ozai away.

\--------

 

Four months. Four long months since the accident.

Ursa felt like a bloated carcass enough as it was, not relishing how much bigger the healers suspected she was going to get. Thankfully the exams were less frequent than they had been right after the accident where they poked and prodded her in fascination. Miracle that she had not miscarried, they said.

At least she had this to be grateful for.

Her mind wandered as she let them poke and prod her, measuring this and that. The baby had come through unharmed it seemed. She wished she could say the same for her husband.

Physically the effects had been limited. Aches. Pains. Burns. Nothing a firebender wasn't used to. But it was only after the healers released Ozai from the hospital that the other effects became more and more apparent. He was distant, unable to verbalize what was wrong. His anger would come too easily, burning swift and fierce. They told her it was nothing of consequence, just the pain clouding his mind, but she heard what they spoke of when they thought no one was listening.

It was Ozai's first taste of failure, they whispered. Too much for the man to take.

She had hoped things would be better after the sages decided to complete Ozai's training, determining it was far less dangerous to do so than allow a half trained bomb free reign around the capitol. It only fueled his resentment that they had not chosen to teach him in the first place.

The evenings though- it was their evenings together that told her the healers were horribly wrong. There were nights when his dreams would wake them both, as he struggled with something only he could see. She felt utterly useless, left to murmur comforting words with him clinging to her like a child as they both struggled to return to sleep. Her days were spent finding and creating pain control remedies but her work did little to help him. It was like a part of him was… damaged.

She could only hope that time would fix it.

"With you carrying so low, I'm sure it will be a boy, my lady." The mid-wife gave Ursa a reassuring pat as they both felt feet give a tiny little kick. "Oh, and what a fighter he is!"

"Of course." Her smile was soft and sad. "Strong like his father."

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Summer

 

The sun hung in the sky for months at a time which meant plenty of hunting opportunities for growing young boys and hunting meant meat and lots of it which was not too surprisingly mostly consumed by growing young boys. There were few things in life that were as good as the shank of a fat tiger seal that you had caught yourself roasting over a great big pit when you were seventeen.

Hakoda heard his stomach rumbling over the cries of the polar bear dogs. He threw the pack some fish, a little bit jealous that they were getting to eat sooner than he was. They were a good team of dogs but he wasn't about to eat any part of the junk fish that normally made up their dinner. "Do you think it'll hold up?" he asked distractedly, trying not to salivate as he watched them eat.

"Sorry, no." Bato fingered the length of rope in his hand. "I should have checked this before we got this far. The tugline for my lead dog is pretty much shot. It won't be so much fun if it snaps and we get stuck out there out in the middle of nowhere." He puffed out his cheeks. "Did you find the spare in my bag?"

Hakoda dug around the pack one more time and shook his head.

"Damn it!" He watched Bato kick at the sled runner in frustration. "Why don't you stay with the team and I'll run home and get another line from my dad? Guess I was, uh, a little too distracted last night to make sure we had everything."

The blush on his friend's cheeks made Hakoda laugh. "Sooo," he began in a teasing sing song. "Sounds like your date with Nigaq went well."

"You shut your mouth!" Bato said, turning even redder much to Hakoda's delight. "At least I have the stones to ask the girl I like out on a date!"

That wiped the smirk right off Hakoda's face. "Well, it's just, you know… I'm not sure how… after the, uh… that thing…" He stared at his shoes. She thinks I'm a complete idiot.

It was Bato's turn to laugh. "Well, Kya's family lives right there!" He pointed off in the distance at the collection of summer tupiqs, tents made of wood poles and seal skin. "Maybe you could spend some quality time while I'm gone explaining why you didn't mean to spill sea prune stew all over her last fall." He could still hear Bato chuckling as the boy raced back to the center of the city.

"Jerk," Hakoda said to the air, not quite sure if he meant Bato or himself. Maybe both. He looked longingly at the largest of the tupiqs, knowing full well the girl was probably home attending to chores.

Kya. Spirits, she was smart and pretty and funny and everything. The first day he'd started to notice that girls were no longer yucky, he had fallen for her- literally fallen for her, slipping from the rigging on his father's ship at the sight of her when he was thirteen years old. He hardly noticed the broken arm at the time as he daydreamed of her for hours. After that, his attempts at romance had been all downhill from there. A slightly brain damaged piece of seaweed would have been more coherent than he was whenever he tried to talk to her.

His belly growled louder this time.

"Yeah, yeah," he scolded his rude stomach. I suppose a snack is in order.

They had extra food on board the sled but with the distances they were going they would need it later. It was close enough to the ocean that if he could snag something now, he could sneak something from their supplies and cook up his catch when they had more time and Bato couldn't complain about that. I'm a genius!

It took a little while to make sure the dogs were secure before he left. Bato would never let him live it down if any of his team wandered off. Spear in hand, Hakoda looked for a bit of ice, not too thick and without much snow. Pick, pick, pick- he opened up a small hole so he could see what lived underneath.

A flash of something fast and red caught his eye.

It was an arctic octopus, with its distinctive crimson flesh. A rather large one at that. He could see its bulk as it cautiously retreated from the newly formed air hole. It looked big enough to feed two strapping young men if one strapping young man in particular could manage to catch it.

"Hi there, little fella!" he said congenially to the timid cephalopod. "You look lonely. Lonely, fat and kinda tasty. I can help you with all of that."

He chipped away at the hole he had created to give himself a little more room in which to work. It was a surprise to see a tentacle reach out curiously as if the beast was intrigued by the end of his spear. Hakoda swirled the spear around, amused as the creature moved closer to touch the pointy end that would hopefully result in some lunch.

He realized what he was doing and froze. "Now, now, it's not nice to play with your food," he muttered to himself. Leaving the spear just at the edge of the water, he waited for his meal to come closer.

He flung himself back as the octopus unexpectedly surged forward, latching onto his spear with its long tentacles. "Hey!" Their awkward wrestling match began. Hakoda had little luck gaining traction on the slippery ice. The octopus was in its element though, wrapping tightly around the spear and shooting water out of its siphon with all its might as it tried to jet away. Knocked just a little off balance at exactly the wrong time and Hakoda wound up on his ass, the little spineless bastard fleeing with its prize.

"Son of a bitch!"

There was no fucking way he was telling Bato that he lost his spear to an octopus.

Hakoda somehow managed to get to his feet and skated wildly after it, spotting the creature's silhouette speeding away under the thinner parts of the ice. It was a frantic chase, as he punched through the ice with his club a few times when he thought he was close enough. If he could get the thing to drop his spear then perhaps he could escape this little ordeal with no one the wiser. There! Finally some luck. He could see the thing drape itself around a rock deep under a particularly clear stretch of ice. "Gotcha!"

It was only after he swung his weapon that he realized why this might have ranked up there with one of the stupider things he had ever done. The reason he could see the thief so clearly was the ice was far too thin, certainly not thick enough to take the weight of a moron Water Tribe boy bashing at it with a club.

The ice made a loud –crack- and instantly he was in it, water cold enough to burn as it swallowed him whole. He flailed around wildly as he tried to right himself, praying for his muscles not to cramp in the cold as he swam towards the sun. Something rising in the water with him brushed against his hand- the spear! The octopus must have abandoned its spoils when a silly human had dropped on top of it. Perfect! He broke through the surface with a gasp and felt more ice break away under his hand. Break, and break away again until the ice was thicker. Hakoda placed the spear flat across the ice and hauled himself out, the long piece of wood distributing his weight enough that he could crawl to a safer spot.

Spirits, he needed to get out of these wet clothes in a hurry or he was a dead man. The breeze was already leaching the heat from his body. He stumbled over to the sled, his agitation setting the dogs barking. Clothes, clothes where are you? Things began spilling from his pack as he struggled to find what he was looking for through the uncontrolled shivering that wracked his body. Found it! His hands hurt as he fought to undo the soggy knot at his belt. Fuck. His frozen fingers refused to listen to him, so he wrestled to pull his tunic over his head. The motion disoriented him terribly but he got the garment off, away from his skin. The wet tunic hit the ground with a plop but his dizziness made him fall as well.

He tried to look up but couldn't lift his head more than an inch. A blurry pair of boots was the only thing he could see. "Help. Please," he murmured weakly, or at least he hoped he did before the cold dragged him into down into the depths of unconsciousness.

\----

He felt warm. Hakoda felt warm. Bonfire warm, even.

It was wonderful. Especially when he had thought he might never have gotten warm again.

His brain wasn't quite with it, still recovering after the hypothermia but something close smelled really very nice. Fresh and clean and maybe a hint of sweet. He shifted slightly, trying to catalogue if he had lost any body parts to the cold and gasped at the unexpected feel of thick fur brushing against his bare skin. Bare everywhere.

Spirits, it felt good.

So good that between the profound relief at unexpectedly finding himself mostly alive and the luxuriously delicious sensation of fur that cocooned him, he found himself starting to awaken in more ways than one. At his age, he wound up sporting an erection from a particularly comfortable pair of trousers and this felt about a hundred billion times better. He turned, still not yet ready to open his eyes, which resulted in him bumping against something else warm and soft wrapped with him under his blankets. But silky smooth this time. Definitely not furred.

And most definitely alive.

A female laugh twinkled merrily in his ear. "So I guess you're feeling better then?"

"K-k-Kya!" Naked plus sporting a semi plus Kya! (almost naked Kya! his brain screamed at him) equaled a very red Hakoda twisting like an eel to turn away from the girl. Biting his lip, he cursed his traitorous organ as he tried to hide it under his hands.

"I've never seen anyone blush through their whole back before. It's pretty impressive." A tender hand trailed brazenly down his spine. "It even goes all the way down to your a-"

"Aha!" Hakoda squawked as he twisted yet again, trying to grab at the furs to shield what little of him Kya had not already seen. "Ha- it's a skill. Of mine." He lost all control of his tongue once he caught sight of her impish grin. "It warns everybody around me that I've done something really stupid."

Little goldfish did back flips in his chest at her laugh. "You're cute." He was struck dumb- dumber - by this, not even registering that she had slipped from the furs before she was arranging the belt of her robe at her hips. "You must be starving," she decided and padded out of sight.

Cute, cute, cute, cute, he mused to himself, wrapping his mind around the word. She thinks I'm cute. And to think I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for that damn octopus and me almost killing myself because of that stupid tugline that Bato forgot to…

"Bato!" He struggled to free himself from the furs, the surge of joy that had so quickly filled him getting quashed just as swiftly. "The dogs! The sled!"

Kya timed her arrival well, balancing a tray of food in one hand to offer a well placed shove with the other. "Don't worry. Bato turned up a little while ago and took care of the dogs. He said you weren't safe to move just yet, so he said he would come back for you later."

Hakoda decided right then and there that Bato was the most wonderful, thoughtful friend in the entire universe. A hot bowl of stew put an end to that train of thought, and any bashfulness slapped aside as he sat up to attack the offering with desperation.

"So," Kya started innocently. "How did you wind up in the water?"

Another flash of heat to his face. He forced his words around the spoon in his mouth, hoping that would be enough. "Octopus…spear."

"What?"

I'm done for. He had to look away. "An octopus stole my spear and I was trying to get it back." It took all his strength not to disappear back into his cocoon.

Silence. Dreadful silence. She must think I'm an idiot for sure. He couldn't take it anymore. A dam burst, taking his sense with it. "I know it sounds like I'm making it up but why would anyone make up a story like that, I mean, come on an octopus? And a spear? That sounds totally crazy but that's what happened and I'm really, really sorry that I spilled sea prune stew all over you last fall but I was still getting over that bad flu and I was trying to bring you some when I sneezed and it just wasn't a very good…"

"You're sweet." She kissed him. She was kissing him. Kissing him right now. And he tasted it. Fresh and clean and maybe a hint of sweet. It went on and on and it didn't stop, shouldn't stop but he began to feel lightheaded.

Oh. Right. Breathing was important.

They broke apart and he was a little gratified to see she looked just as flushed as he felt.

"Can… can we try that one more time?" he asked, not sure where this little bit of courage had come from.

She nodded slowly, cheeks still on fire.

After a little bit of contemplation, he leaned in, cradling her head in his hands to kiss her like he wanted to for years. She yielded not at all, fingers carded through his hair they tasted each other thoroughly.

The tupiq shook around them as someone knocked on a tent pole. Bato's familiar voice penetrated their fog. "How's everything going in there?"

The two didn't let up, Hakoda managing to bark a coherent "Go away!" as Kya gently sucked on his bottom lip.

"Hakoda! Let's go! If you don't show your mom that you're not dead in the next twenty minutes, she's going to kill you!"

Hakoda decided right there and then that Bato was absolutely the most horrid, wretched human being in the entire universe.

Kya planted a hand on his chest and shoved him away. "Go. Try not to get yourself killed." She studied him with a wry tilt of the head. "You wouldn't be able to visit me tomorrow if you were dead, now would you?"  
He practically flew back home, Bato laughing at him the entire way. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was going to be the best day ever. And the day after, and the day after that.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Winter

 

Kya hastily refilled the soapstone lamp with oil and relit the fire underneath her pot of water. There were hungry men expected to return home within the week and there was stew to be made. A bid to free war prisoners had been risky in these brutally cold conditions but the frozen seas and months'-long night meant the Water Tribe could go where the Fire Nation could not follow.

She wiped her hands and poured over her options. Octopus, she decided with a touch of fondness. Hakoda always enjoyed octopus when he returned from missions such as these.

The loud crunch of footfalls on the hard packed snow outside her igloo had her heart leaping into her throat. She battled it down with a hint of shame. It never used to be like this before the Fire Nation had come hunting for them: in her childhood an unexpected guest would have always been met with glad tidings instead of fear. The long blade intended for chopping made its way into her hand in any case.

A man dipped his head to enter her home, parka obscuring his face.

They were back? It was early yet. Her mind flooded with the possibilities. Had the mission gone sour? Was this her warrior returned to her or was it Kesuk, here to perform his duties as chief and father to tell her that Hakoda had been added to the list of the fallen?

Her relief was profound as the hood was thrown back to reveal Hakoda's weary face. He took two lumbering steps and she was with him, bracing him through his fatigue. So much harder to carry him now that he had grown from that gangly, awkward boy into this wall of a man.

"We did it!" he laughed, as he landed a sloppy kiss. She smiled under his lips, thrilled to see him safe and sound and happy. "We freed the others!"

She guided him to their bed where she helped him disrobe. This did not slow him in the telling of his tale. "But Bato and I had to test those seaweed bombs I made so we took a second pass." There was much dried blood that made his clothes stiff and difficult to handle but Kya knew better than to show any outward signs of her alarm right now. "Didn't work like I planned, but I think with I can get the kinks out." He collapsed on top of the pile of furs, too exhausted to climb in between. This at least would make her next task simpler.

"Not sure where the rest of our fleet is now. Weather forced the two of us to cut through the straight, which was pretty fun," he murmured, his enthusiasm losing the fight to heavy eyelids. She didn't want to think about how dangerous it must have been for him and Bato to consider their return trip 'fun'. "Hope Dad won't be mad at me for beating him back home."

"I'm sure Kesuk will be thrilled that you're safe," Kya said softly as she pressed a finger to his lips. "Rest now."

The water for her abandoned stew and a hastily gathered set of rags made it easy to bathe him as he slept, washing away what streaks and physical marks she could remove and tending to the ones she could not. She took her time, reheating the water as necessary until her task was complete. It seemed Hakoda had grown even broader across the shoulders since she had last seen him just weeks ago; spare muscle covering every inch of him- due more to hard work and rationing of food than any vanity.

Satisfied that she had done as much as she could, she joined him, adding more blankets for warmth. She welcomed his arms as he curled around her on instinct, trying to shield her even now. Their combined heat made sure it only took minutes before they were both dreaming of an uncertain future.

\---

A hand stroking the curve of her hip was always a pleasant way to wake up. The sound from Kya's lips was low and throaty in its approval as the hand grew bolder. She flipped onto her back. "I take it you slept well?"

Hakoda's bed mussed head popped up from under the blankets with a grin full of mischief. "Yes, thanks." He settled in between her thighs, better to plant a kiss on her collar bone. "I missed you-" A kiss to the opposite side. "Very-" -again between her breasts- "Very" once more along the edge of her rib "much!" She couldn't keep from giggling at the feel of his tongue in her belly button.

Taking her hands in his, he kissed the pad of each finger between each syllable as he spoke. "This week… I will make a necklace… for you." A momentary wave of panic crossed his face. "You do still want to marry me, right?

She hooked a heel around his waist and pulled him closer. "Of course I do, you silly man." With a tug on a braid, she drew him in for a kiss. It was long and slow and added more than enough fuel to properly spark their arousal.

The heft of him, insistent and hard – so hard just for her- sent a pulse of heat right through her. They had been each others' first, learning how to give each other pleasure through careful exploration.

And practice. Lots of very welcome, very enjoyable practice.

His fingers were inside her, rough and callused skin that she made slick in no time at all. He hummed against her breast, mouthing hotly at her nipple as he listened carefully to each whimper and sigh she made. A ripple went through them both when she took his cock in hand, his abortive gasps piercing her to the core. She neither knew nor cared how he compared to other men since he more than met her needs.

A little of himself leaked across the back of her hand as her strokes made Hakoda shiver. She was completely unprepared for a flurry of movement. At the end of it, Kya sat astride his lap in a daze, him sitting up to let her legs stay wrapped around his waist. Spirits, it awed her how strong he had become. He watched her and waited, his hunger a living thing.

She eased the head of him just inside and rocked against it, preparing herself. Thick cords of muscle stood out on his neck as he fought to let her guide their pace. Lower, lower she went until she took him to the root. So good. Not much room for motion, but she bore down on him and u –uh. Oh. Hip bone to hip bone, fully seated she got the sensation she craved.

They worked together in little movements, give and take, ebb and flow. His teeth were at her neck, arms wrapped around her waist, crushing her to him as she rode him. She worked on her timing as she writhed against him, fluttering around him when he was at his deepest.

It was too perfect. This precarious balance had to tip soon.

"Kya- I can't-" What beautiful anguish on his handsome face, his brow furrowed in concentration as he struggled to hold on.

It had been too long for both of them.

"I love you," she whispered with a squeeze between her hips. Again he surprised her, arms crossing her back to pull her down, down, and down again as he emptied himself into her. Oh, the feel of him, the pressure inside and out, and that little high pitched hitch in his breath as he shook and that was all she needed to come undone alongside him.

\------------

Dinner was a silly affair with Bato recreating the battle against the Fire Nation to a group of younglings' wide eyed delight. The children squealed as Hakoda snuck behind them and startled them all with a loud roar.

Kya shook her head in amusement as she watched the children flee in mock terror from Hakoda's firebending wrath. "He will be a good father one day."

A firm elbow dug into her ribs. "One day soon, I hope," Kanna said with an old woman's knowing smile.

She turned to hide her blush. "He hasn't even made a necklace yet! You're in for a wait if you want to spoil any future grandchi…" She trailed off at the sight of Qilaq heading for them at a frantic run.

"The boats! The boats have returned!" Normally those breathless words would have had them cheering if not for the young boy's dismay.

Was something wrong? What had upset the boy so?

People flooded the docks. Kya went pale as the ship flying chieftain's colors limped to its moorings, fresh burn marks scarring its bow. Hakoda was scaling up to the ship's deck before the gangplank had a chance to lower. He looked grim as he helped the wounded to solid ground, one by one.

Kesuk. You could almost hear the Tribe's thoughts. Where was Chief Kesuk? She felt Kanna grip her elbow tightly.

When care had been offered to the last of the injured, Hakoda called out, voice deep and resonant: "Bato!"

His friend was with him in an instant. Between them, they carried a litter bearing a figure in a seal skin shroud. Kya supported the old woman at her side, Kanna feeling every one of her years as the body of her husband was presented to her.

The Tribe moved together, already far too experienced at mourning the loss of one of their own.

\----------

The rites were performed, body washed and hair braided, and the burial was complete. The ocean claimed their chief as was proper. It was difficult to see Hakoda so firm as he tended to his father for the last time.

In private, the truth revealed itself.

He sat at Kanna's knee as he did so often as a child, tears streaming down his face. "I'm not ready to lead. I'm not," he whispered, open and raw. Kya could only hang back and watch, unsure of what comfort she could offer.

"No one ever is," Kanna said, wearily. "You're a wise man with a good heart, Hakoda. Let that guide you and your people will follow wherever you need take them."

Hakoda pawed at his face as he rose to pace in his restlessness. "I can't do it on my own."

"There's no need for you to be alone." Kanna moved slowly, with no more words as she opened a worn chest by her bed. Scraps of cloth, fragments of bone were pushed aside until she retrieved a small carved box. "Here."

A puzzled frown crossed Hakoda's tired features as he flipped the box open. A smooth, elegant pendant shone in the lamplight, meticulously hand carved waves set in stone to hang from a blue choker. He looked to his mother in confusion.

"This was given to me out of love that I could not return. It's a shame that it should sit buried under the rest of an old woman's memories when you have need of it."

A storm of emotion crossed Hakoda's face as he pulled the necklace from the box. He swallowed heavily. "Kya?" He turned to her and kneeled.

She emerged from the shadows, hands shaking. It hurt to see him so broken. She knew what was coming. Damn them! Damn the Fire Nation for fouling a moment that should have been filled with such joy.

The mix of grief and hope was terrible to see. "Will you be my wife?"

"I can't take this," Kya gasped, tears ready to spill from her own turbulent emotions. "It's too beautiful."

"Sweet girl," Kanna smiled. "You are already the daughter I never bore." The old woman fingered the pendant at her own throat. "You love him?"

Tears fell, no longer under Kya's control. "Yes."

Turning to her son, Kanna searched his face. "You love her?"

You could see his strength return to him as Hakoda held himself a little straighter. "With all my heart."

"Then what more do you need?"

The words hung in a moment of silence.

Resolute, Hakoda turned to Kya and offered her the necklace once more. "Will you stand by my side?"

She took it from him carefully. "Always."

Together the fumbled with the old fashioned clasp as they kissed each other's tears away.

 

End.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [an ice floe, slowly drifting out to sea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/211602) by [ambyr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambyr/pseuds/ambyr)




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